Saltwater Fishing Report: Fishing Heats Up as Water Cools Down

A shot of larger yellowfin tuna, weighing 60 to 90 pounds, moved into the canyons this week, putting anglers on notice to get ready for some arm-wrenching battles. The Northeast blow early in the week dropped water temps into the mid-60s, which brought a wave of bass to south Jersey waters.

“Fishing this week continued to yield a mixed bag of results,” reported TC at Brennan Marine, Somers Point. “Inshore, large tog have been taken on, of all things, sand fleas. They seem to be close to shore and in the back bays right now. Bluefish have moved into the bays and can be had on anything from metal to surface lures to bucktails to fresh bait.”

TC also said croakers continue to be caught primarily on clams both off the surf and in the 20- to 35-foot depths off the coast, while stripers are beginning to show up at the bridges at night. Tuna fishing rebounded in the canyons and yellowfin are getting larger, pushing the 100-pound mark. Larry Stout and crew on his boat “Diamond Girl” chunked butterfish and sardines in the Lindenkohl to deck two 75-pound yellowfin along with a 63-pound longfin. Tim McBride and his crew on the “Royal Flush” battled two 85-pound yellowfin, along with a swordfish of 97 pounds while chunking the Lindenkohl.

It seems that the recent cold snap got things firing off Wildwood. According to Cathy Algard, Sterling Harbor Bait and Tackle, Wildwood: “Wildwood’s surf and back bays were alive with bait with finger mullet, peanut bunker, and spot everywhere and the predators were chasing them. Bluefish were the most prevalent from the Wildwood surf, with some Stripers and Red Drum caught as well.”

Along the bridge pilings and under the dock lights, striped bass and weakfish were pouncing on 4-inch plastics, though both species bit during daytime hours as well. “Weakfish and bass are around in the daytime, hanging deeper in the channel edges, and are hitting Mirrolure, Rat-L-Traps and Gulp jerk shads,” Algard said. Sea bass fishing picked up again along the 20-fathom line rockpiles and wrecks, while the 30-fathom line had wahoo running along the depths. Crabby Jack gives the crabbing 3 out of 5 Claws this week.

“The overnight yellowfin tuna bite has been very good in the Lindenkohl canyon,” said Matt Slobodjian, Jim’s Bait and Tackle, Cape May. “The best reports were from around the 500 fathom line and the fish are good sized — 50 to 90 pounds — and swordfish are being caught there on a regular basis as well.” Slobodjian also noted that the overnight bite is moving closer inshore too along the 100 fathom line between the Wilmington and Spencer canyons.

Even further inshore at the Elephant’s Trunk and Tea Cup, wahoo, some yellowfin tuna and dolphin are being picked up on the troll. When targeting wahoo, a trace of wire leader is a must to prevent immediate bite-offs from the wahoo’s scissor-like set of teeth. Black sea bass up to 4 pounds are on the wrecks in pretty good numbers in the 100- to 150-foot depths. Slobodjian also said sea bass are closer to home on the inshore reefs and wrecks, but notes “most are small and really have to be picked through.”